


Fall On Me With All Your Light

by Not_So_Mundane_After_All_97



Category: Titans (TV 2018)
Genre: Family Reunions, Father-Daughter Relationship, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Spoilers for S2 finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:15:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21622087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_So_Mundane_After_All_97/pseuds/Not_So_Mundane_After_All_97
Summary: SPOLIERS FOR 2x13!!!Watching the plane take off is like sending a piece of his soul away. His heart grieves for his best friend and fills with worry for the one person who brought the meaning back to his life. He will need to learn how to live without them, for a while at least, but thankfully, the people who stand beside will help him get through it.***Dick struggles to say goodbye to the two people he loves the most, but thankfully those goodbyes aren't forever.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Donna Troy, Dick Grayson & Rachel Roth
Comments: 4
Kudos: 98





	Fall On Me With All Your Light

**Author's Note:**

> That finale, man... It fucking broke me. There were things I loved. There were things a I hated. After 12 weeks of waiting I finally got another Dick/Rachel hug. And if you thought I wasn't going to write anything about that scene, you were wrong.  
> I'm back, bitches... 😊😊

* * *

"I should go… with Donna. If anybody can help her, it's me."

Dick can't say he's surprised. Rachel is very much like him, in more ways than one. Just like him, she wants to do right by people, help even when she's not the one at fault, fix things that can't be fixed. Still, his first instinct is to try and stop her. Not because he doesn't believe she can do it, but because - after losing Donna - he wants to keep all his loved ones as close as possible. Rachel most of all.

But when she starts talking about how her powers are different now, he's beginning to realize it's not just about bringing Donna back. Rachel wants to get to know herself and her powers. Study and train, but most importantly _understand_ what's inside her. She had already grown so much from the moment he met her. When she talks about bringing his thoughts to life, he can't help but think back to the moment he saw a Raven in the window of his cell, and his heart swells with pride.

The path of self discovery can be difficult, but she has to walk it alone - Dick knows that better than anyone. So even though it breaks him to see her leave, he nods his head and smiles.

"If you want to go, I'm not gonna stop you. But remember - doesn't matter how strong we are, we can't always change the world."

"But we can try. We _should_ try."

She reminds him so much of Donna right now it physically hurts. Either with the suit or without it, Donna Troy always wanted to change the world. To at least _try_ . He looks towards the plane, where his best friend's body is being prepared for her last travel home and sends out a quick prayer. _Keep her safe, Don._

His eyes burn with unshed tears and his throat is so tight he can barely breathe. But he puts on a brave face and turns to Rachel.

"Go with Donna." he says and Rachel's smile makes his heart swell. "You know we'll be waiting for you when you get back."

 _I'll be waiting_ is what he means. _Always_.

"Who knows, maybe I'll stay on the island."

He smiles. Hiding behind jokes - yet another trait she picked up from him.

"Watch out. Space witch's skin isn't made for tropical sun."

"Yeah… I'll survive. Will you?"

 _I don't know_ , he thinks. They will be seperated for longer than few days for the first time since they met, and he truly doesn't know how to handle this. His brain is already overloading with worries. Will she be okay? Will she sleep enough, eat right? Will they treat her well? What if something happens and he can't be there? Looking at her right now he realizes how much she means to him and how much he wants her to stay. But he also knows he can't, he _shouldn't_ change her mind. Will he survive without her? He's not sure about that, but he can try. Although he is sure of one thing.

"I'll miss you."

Her lips trembles but she smiles and the next second she's in his arms, with her head on his shoulder and arms around his neck. He holds her close, cherishing the moment as it lasts. He wants nothing more than to keep her like that forever, safely tucked under his chin, where no harm can reach her. Because he will always protect her, no matter what.

He promises her he will let the others know, and one look at her tells him this is it. She'll be gone soon and there is nothing he can do about it.

"Be careful." he tells her, because no matter what happens, he needs to make sure she'll stay safe. To calm his own shattered heart and messy thoughts, he needs her to promise him she will look out for herself when he's not there.

She smiles softly and salutes him.

"Yes, sir."

Watching the plane take off is like sending a piece of his soul away. His heart grieves for his best friend and fills with worry for the one person who brought the meaning back to his life. He will need to learn how to live without them, for a while at least, but thankfully, the people who stand beside will help him get through it.

***

He gets a short message at the beginning of December. Same plane, same airport. In two days, around noon.

In all honesty, the last five months were long as hell but these last 48 hours feel like the longest two days of his life.

When the day comes, Dick is at the airport an hour early. He couldn't sit still for more than a minute since he woke up this morning. So to avoid questions from the team (especially Kory), who have no idea about anything, he left right after breakfast.

He waits in his car, his fingers anxiously tapping the steering wheel, but he's out the moment the plane appears. He observes the smooth landing as the beating of his heart increases with every passing second. But finally, after what feels like forever, the sound of the engines disappears and the door open.

When Rachel steps outside, Dick lets out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding. A huge grin spreads across his face and he feels like his heart is gonna explode. She's back.

The first thing he notices is her significant long, black hair, now covering her shoulders, blowing slightly in the winter wind. There are few electric blue highlights here and there, and part of him wonders if Rachel did that on purpose - consciously matching with his Nightwing suit. She also holds herself with more confidence now - her back straight and her head high. The sight strikes familiar, causing a sharp pain in his chest. There is something so… _amazonian_ about it he can't help but think of Donna.

Rachel looks around, the californian sun blinding her for a moment, but eventually she spots him, and when their eyes meet, everything around them disappears. She steps down the stairs slowly, smiling at him, but the moment her feet touch the ground she breaks into a sprint. Before he knows it he runs too, and when they finally clash into each other, it's a mess of tangled arms, soft laughs and heavy breathing. Rachel wraps her arms around his neck tightly and Dick picks her up, spinning her around. He's really trying not to cry, but his eyes burn when she whispers his name and buries herself into his chest. Dick holds her tighter than ever before, with his hand cupping the back of her head, pressing it to the crook of his neck. He hides his face into her hair and takes a deep breath to collect himself. She smells of the ocean, and firewood and his heart tugs painfully at his chest again, because Donna used to smell the same.

And then it hits him. He doesn't have to lean down to hug Rachel anymore, not as much as he used to anyway. With a mixture of excitement and fear he realizes she had grown a few inches since the last time they saw each other, and suddenly he wants to freeze, or at least _slow down_ time, because Rachel - his little Rachel - is _growing up_ and he can't do anything to stop it.

"I've missed you so much." she whispers and Dick takes her face into his hands to look at her. There are tears marking her cheeks, but she's smiling and oh how he loves that smile. He pulls her closer again and kisses her forehead softly, longingly, because those five months without her felt like fucking hell.

"I've missed you too, Rach." he breathes out against her skin, his voice trembling. "Every day."

He puts his arm around her shoulders and pulls her to his side as they head towards his car.

"So… how was Themyscira?" he starts and she wraps her arms around his waist, smiling.

"Amazing!" she says excitedly. "But I'm glad to be back." He gives her a quick kiss to the side of her head.

"It's good to have you back home."

When they get inside the car, Dick hesitates. There is one more thing he wants to ask about, but he knows better than to get his hopes up. If Rachel's plan had worked out, Donna would be here right now.

Rachel must have guessed his train of thought (not surprisingly, since she had literally been in his head before) because suddenly he can feel her hand in his.

"I did it." she whispers and Dick forgets how to breathe. "She's okay."

He leans back in his seat, dragging his hand across his face. There's no point holding back tears now, he's so overcome with relief he doesn't know how to function.

Donna is alive.

"She wanted to stay a little longer, that's why I came back alone." Rachel explains quickly, squeezing his hand. "She said she needed more time." Dick lifts her hand to his lips and kisses her knuckles, letting his tears fall on her hand, and Rachel smiles. And he thought he couldn't possibly be more grateful to have her in his life.

"Thank you." he breathes out, looking her in the eyes.

"She wrote you a letter." She says as she reaches to the back pocket of her jeans and hands him a white envelope. He takes it with his trembling hand and just stares at it. "But maybe you should read it when we get home."

Dick blinks back the remaining tears and hides the envelope inside his jacket.

"Yeah, let's go home."

***

When they arrive at the Tower, Rachel is literally ripped from his arms by Kory and Gar, and once everyone are settled on the couch with pizza on the table, Rachel starts her tale about her adventures on Themyscira. There are some tears when she describes how she brought Donna back and Hank gets up, announcing he's gonna go to the store and fill their fridge with that 'shitty orange soda she loves so much' and gets some beer because it's time to celebrate.

Dick gets up from the couch as well, and when Rachel looks over at him, he smiles softly and taps his pocket, where Donna's letter is safely hidden. She nods and he gives her a quick kiss on the crown of her head before excusing himself to his room.

His hands are shaking when he sits down on his bed, ripping the envelope open and takes out a piece of paper folded in three. He chokes on a sob as he recognizes Donna's handwriting. He takes one deep breath and starts reading.

_Dear Boy Wonder,_

_I truly don't know how or where to start. I'm back, I guess. Alive and breathing. Rachel is really a miracle worker. She worked so hard, you should be proud._

_I'm okay. As okay as I can be after being dead for a few months. I stayed on Themyscira, because I need to make sure I came back in 100%. Playing with death is tricky, Diana told me that many times. She's with me now, so don't worry, I am well looked after._

_It sucks I have to do this through a letter, but there was something I wanted to talk to you about but I didn't get the chance._

_I'm sorry. For not staying on your side. For putting all the fault and responsibility on your shoulders, when I'm also the one to blame. When Garth died, I was blinded by grief and vengeance. I didn't tell you, but the bullet wasn't meant for him - he was just protecting Jillian. I didn't stop you from involving Jericho, and I wanted to continue to use him even when you wanted out. And you went to that church because of me - because I was stupid enough to go against Deathstroke alone and let my anger get the best of me. I'm sorry about then and I'm sorry about now. You needed me and I walked away. We promised each other we will always stick together and I broke that promise. Not you - me._

_I am sure those last few months were hard for you. I know I would go crazy if I lost you. But I'm back now. Maybe I'm not okay yet, but I will be. I hope my room in the Tower is still mine when I get back._

_I miss you, little bro. But not too long now, I promise._

_I love you. Your Donna._

_PS. No need to worry, I took good care of your little girl even before she brought me back. Gotta admit, fatherhood looks good on you._

Tears are streaming down his face in cascades, but Dick doesn't bother to wipe them away. He stares at words, smiling. Next time he sees her, once she's in his arms, he's never gonna let her go again. He will hold her, kiss her cheek and tell her he loves her. But now he's gonna let her heal, however long it takes.

A knock on the door brings him back to reality. He wipes at his face and mutters a soft 'come in'. Rachel's head slips through the door, smiling softly at him.

"Hey, just wanted to see how you're doing."

Dick smiles at her, grateful again for her presence in his life.

"Yeah, I'm okay." He taps the place on the bed beside him. "Come here."

She closes the door behind her and sits next to him few seconds later, snuggling to him as he wraps his arm around her again. He presses his cheek to the top of her head as she lets out a long yawn, which makes him smile.

"Sleepy?"

Rachel smiles against his shoulder.

"I think jet lag is hitting in."

"Let's get you to bed then." he says as lifts the covers on his bed for her. Her smile grows bigger at the invitation and she slips under the duvet the next moment. He tucks her in and dissapears in the bathroom for a few minutes, taking a quick shower. He comes back to Rachel already asleep, so he turns off the lights and lays down beside her, immediately gathering her in his arms. Rachel snuggles to his chest, still sleeping and Dick leaves another kiss on her forehead. She's finally where she belongs. Safe and sound. Dick's eyes dart to the letter on his bedside table, remembering those last few lines. He falls asleep with one last thought on his mind.

_Thank you sis. Love you too._


End file.
